If you love martial arts movies on Hulu, then Hulu is a great place to find them. There are a lot of amazing black belt features among the top martial arts movies that are now available to view on Hulu.
The origins of martial arts may be traced back to Asia as early as 700 BC and have been honored for a very long time as a holy kind of combat training.
It was just a matter of time before people started recognizing the aesthetic value of martial arts via the medium of cinema.
The discipline often resembles a beautiful dance that has been choreographed, so it was only natural that they would do so.
Continue reading to find out more interesting facts about these martial arts movies on Hulu.
1. Enter the Dragon (1973)
- Director: Robert Clouse
- Cast: Bruce Lee; John Saxon; Jim Kelly; Ahna Capri; Bob Wall; Shih Kien.
- IMDb rating: 7.6/10
- Running time: 1h 42m
The movie that made Bruce Lee a household name is one of his most iconic roles as he plays Kato in this martial arts flick that pits him against a drug ring led by Shih Kien and John Saxon.
Jim Kelly and Angela Mao also appear in the film as an American agent who goes undercover in Vietnam to steal some priceless jade statues but ends up falling for a woman named Mei Ling, who works at the nightclub where they’re taken to.
It’s an exciting tale of love, betrayal, revenge, and honor, all tied together with awesome fight scenes! This is undoubtedly one of the best martial arts movies on Hulu.
2. Executioners from Shaolin (1977)
- Director: Lau Kar-leung
- Cast: Chen Kuan-Tai; Li-Li Li; Wong Yue; Lo Lieh; Gordon Liu
- IMDb rating: 6.9/10
- Running time: 1h 40m
It’s the late 1800s, and a group of Shaolin monks is tasked with transporting a sacred scroll to Japan. When one of their own is captured and put to death by the Emperor’s Executioners, they seek revenge on his killers.
The only problem is that these Executioners have been trained in all types of martial arts, so it might be difficult for just six monks to defeat them. It was released on Hulu on February 13th, 2019.
It was directed by Wai-keung Lau and stars Philip Ng as one of the six Shaolin Monks who must fight against seven well-trained Executioners from Shaolin Temple to get back their sacred scroll. This is one of the best martial arts movies on Hulu.
3. Fearless (2006)
- Director: Ronny Yu
- Cast: Jet Li; Nakamura Shidō II; Sun Li; Dong Yong; Nathan Jones; Collin Chou; Masato Harada.
- IMDb rating: 7.6/10
- Running time: 2h 21m
This film is a kung fu movie with elements of Wushu or traditional Chinese martial arts. It is one of the best martial arts movies on Hulu. It’s a classic story of revenge and honor set in ancient China, with a twist: the hero has no interest in becoming an assassin.
Instead, he wants to be an honest man and open his own restaurant. The only problem? His father was murdered by a powerful warlord named Ping Wu.
To get revenge on his father’s killer, Bajie must travel 200 miles through treacherous territory—and find help from unlikely allies along the way.
4. Fist of Fury (1972)
- Director: Lo Wei
- Cast: Bruce Lee; Nora Miao; Riki Hashimoto.
- IMDb rating: 7.2/10
- Running time: 1h 47m
In this 1972 martial arts film, Bruce Lee stars as Chen Zhen, a student of the Shaolin Temple who is betrayed by his master and seeks revenge.
The film, one of the best martial arts movies on Hulu, was directed by Lo Wei and released in Hong Kong on January 10th, 1972.
In Fist of Fury, Chen Zhen (Bruce Lee) has just graduated from the Shaolin Temple after years of training under Master Huo Yuanjia (Yen Shi-kwan).
He returns home to find that his house has been destroyed and his family murdered by Japanese soldiers led by Colonel Sato (Philip Chan).
Sato orders his men to kill him, but they are defeated before they can do so. After tracking down Sato’s location at a nearby hideout where he meets other Japanese officers, Chen fights through them all even though he’s outnumbered 2:1.
5. Ong-bak: The Thai Warrior (2003)
- Director: Prachya Pinkaew
- Cast: Tony Jaa; Petchtai Wongkamlao; Pumwaree Yodkamol.
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
- Running time: 1h 48m
This movie, also one of the best martial arts movies on Hulu, stars Tony Jaa and is directed by Prachya Pinkaew. It was released in 2003, set in the early 19th century.
In addition to Jaa, it also features Panna Rittikrai as the stunt coordinator and cinematographer. The title of this martial arts movie refers to Ong-bak, which is a famous Thai warrior from folklore.
The legend goes that Ong-bak was born from a stone egg after being conceived through meditation for 100 days by monks who wanted to create a human that could fight demons.
The title character plays an orphan who trains in Muay Thai before getting involved with gangsters trying to take over his village’s land; he then travels around Thailand, fighting them off with his skills until he reaches their leader (Jaa).
6. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
- Director: Ang Lee
- Cast: Chow Yun-fat; Michelle Yeoh; Zhang Ziyi; Chang Chen; Sihung Lung; Cheng Pei-pei.
- IMDb rating: 7.9/10
- Running time: 2h
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a martial arts movie starring Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh. It was directed by Ang Lee and released in 2000.
The film, one of the best martial arts movies on Hulu, was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography.
It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at that year’s ceremony. In this movie, Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) is a master swordsman who has been living in seclusion since his wife’s death years earlier.
One day he receives a letter from Jade Fox (Cheng Pei Pei), an old rival who wants to challenge him to one final duel before she dies so that she can teach her student Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) how to defeat him at last.
Li must now prepare himself for battle against both women while also protecting his friend Jen Yu (Zhang Ziyi) from their evil plans!
7. Blade of the Immortal (2017)
- Director: Takashi Miike
- Cast: Takuya Kimura
- IMDb rating: 6.7/10
- Running time: 2h 20m
This movie is about a samurai who must avenge the death of his master. It was released in 2017 and is based on a manga series by Hiroaki Samura. Takashi Miike directed the movie.
Blade of the Immortal has become one of the most sorts after martial arts movies on Hulu, so it is no surprise it makes this list. If you like martial arts films at all or are just looking for something new to watch, Blade of the Immortal should be on your list!
It has plenty of action, swordplay, and some great acting performances from its lead actors, such as Takuya Kimura (who plays Manji).
8. Drunken Master (1978)
- Director: Woo-Ping Yuen
- Cast: Jackie Chan; Yuen Siu-Tien; Hwang Jang-lee; Dean Shek.
- IMDb rating: 7.4/10
- Running time: 1h 51m
Drunken Master is a 1978 martial arts film starring Jackie Chan and directed by Yuen Woo-ping. It is based on the novel The Beggars’ Sect by Jin Yong. If you are looking for martial arts movies on Hulu to watch, then drunken master is a must-watch.
The fictionalized account of the life of the martial artist known as Beggar So takes place during China’s Qing Dynasty, beginning in 1900 and ending with China’s defeat in World War II in 1945.
The story follows Wong Fei-hung (Jackie Chan), who is trained in kung fu from an early age by his father, Wong Kei-ying (Ti Lung). As a young adult, he leaves home to learn more about martial arts.
However, when he returns after five years away, he finds his father has died, and he has been replaced as leader of their school by Leung Foon (Lam Ching Ying).
9. Red Cliff (2008)
- Director: John Woo
- Cast: Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Zhao Wei, Hu Jun, and Lin Chi-ling.
- IMDb rating: 7.8/10
- Running time: 4h 48m
The movie is about the battle of Red Cliff, which took place in China during the Han Dynasty. The movie focuses on the war between two states: “Shu” and “Wei”.
One of the best martial arts movies on Hulu, The movie begins with a battle between Sun Quan, who was a leader of Shu, and Cao Wei. After this battle, they decide to end their conflict and become allies against Dong Zhou.
They learn that Dong Zhou has ordered his army to cross into Wu territory (which belongs to Shu) so they can get closer to them.
They plan an ambush, but things don’t go as planned due to bad weather conditions that prevent them from attacking at nightfall when it would be most advantageous for them (sunset).
Instead, they end up fighting during daylight hours, where Wei forces defeat them because their movements aren’t hidden from sight by darkness as they had planned; plus, there is no fog/mist surrounding them like usual either since it’s daytime!
10. Kung Fu Hustle (2004)
- Director: Stephen Chow
- Cast: Stephen Chow, Danny Chan, Yuen Wah; Yuen Qiu; Eva Huang; Leung Siu-lung.
- IMDb rating: 7.7/10
- Running time: 1h 39m
When the hapless Sing (played by Stephen Chow) and his dimwitted friend, Bone (played by Feng Xiaogang), attempt to con the people of Pig Sty Alley into believing that they are members of the feared Axe Gang, the actual gangsters descend on this Shanghai slum to restore their deadly image.
Kung Fu Hustle still remains one of the best martial arts movies on Hulu today.
Danny Chan plays the role of the gang’s leader, Brother Sum, who is unaware of the fact that three renowned retired kung fu experts named Yu Xing, Dong Zhihua, and Chiu Chi-ling dwell anonymously in this rundown area and do not take kindly to interlopers.
